Burl Aerospace’s work has already reached the United States, where the company says it demonstrated its aircraft technology at the DARPA Lift Challenge — a competition run by the US defence research agency to push the limits of what drones can lift.
Now the Brisbane-based business will exhibit at Global Drone Show, bringing a local innovation story to an event connecting technology developers with buyers, investors and industry leaders at Cbus Super Stadium from 11–13 November 2026.
Burl is developing aircraft that take off vertically and are designed to move heavier loads over longer distances more economically. Potential uses include delivering critical supplies to isolated communities, supporting disaster recovery and transporting equipment where roads and runways are unavailable.
The company says it has developed prototypes for its Birra 20 and Birra 100 aircraft, designed to carry payloads of 20kg and 100kg respectively, and is working towards commercial products.
Burl Aerospace Chief Executive Crighton Nichols said the aim was to solve a practical problem.
“When a road is washed away or a community is cut off, getting supplies in becomes much harder and more expensive,” Mr Nichols said.
“We’re developing aircraft that can move useful loads directly to where they’re needed, without depending on a runway or an intact road network.
“The challenge for a start-up is turning promising engineering into a product people can buy and use. Events like Global Drone Show can put us in front of the customers, partners and investors who help make that happen.”
Burl Aerospace worked with homegrown Queensland experts to develop the unique design.
Drone and robotics expert Professor Pauline Pound from the University of Queensland said: “Burl Aerospace asked me to solve one of the hardest problems in aircraft design: a compact, highly efficient air vehicle capable of taking off and landing in minimal ground clearance.”
“Working from the fundamentals of rotorcraft aerodynamics, I came up with a novel design that radically reinvents how helicopters work, combining a prop-driven rotor with tilt-rotor technology.
“They’ve taken that idea and run with it to produce an 8m, 15kg demonstrator capable of carrying many times its own weight for half an hour. It’s the coolest thing to see spinning!”
The opportunity is substantial.
Research commissioned by Airservices Australia forecasts annual drone flights will rise from approximately 1.5 million in 2023 to 60.4 million by 2043, with transport and logistics driving most of that growth.
Global Drone Show will bring together global brands, live demonstrations and discussions about how drones and robotics are changing farming, mining, emergency response, transport, film and sport.
Chief Executive Leanne St George said Queensland needed to turn its technical talent into businesses with international reach.
“We have people developing extraordinary technology here in Queensland. The next step is connecting them with the people who can help turn those ideas into jobs, exports and everyday services,” Ms St George said.
“Global Drone Show brings those conversations here. Visitors can see the technology, meet the people building it and understand how it could change their industry or their community.”
The three-day event will combine an exhibition, demonstrations on the stadium field and industry congress sessions. Friday’s Future Careers Day, presented by Griffith University, will introduce school students to the technology and the careers behind it.
Research commissioned by Airservices Australia forecasts annual drone flights will rise from approximately 1.5 million in 2023 to 60.4 million by 2043, with transport and logistics driving most of that growth.
Global Drone Show will bring together global brands, live demonstrations and discussions about how drones and robotics are changing farming, mining, emergency response, transport, film and sport.
Chief Executive Leanne St George said Queensland needed to turn its technical talent into businesses with international reach.
“We have people developing extraordinary technology here in Queensland. The next step is connecting them with the people who can help turn those ideas into jobs, exports and everyday services,” Ms St George said.
“Global Drone Show brings those conversations here. Visitors can see the technology, meet the people building it and understand how it could change their industry or their community.”
The three-day event will combine an exhibition, demonstrations on the stadium field and industry congress sessions. Friday’s Future Careers Day, presented by Griffith University, will introduce school students to the technology and the careers behind it.
